There was so much of it. Katara didn't know if it was his, hers, or someone else's entirely. She suspected all three.
Blood. All over the place. She could barely think. All she knew was that she had to heal him, she had to do her best.
Behind her, Azula struggled against her chains, cursing loudly. Katara made herself take a deep breath. Water. She needed water.
Without being conscious of doing so, she made the movements to summon water out of the air. Zuko didn't appear to be breathing. Katara took another deep breath.
The glow of her water reflected off her face as she bent over Zuko, silently praying to anyone that would answer her. Her arms were heavy and it was all she could do not to burst into tears. But Zuko needed her. She had to stay calm.
And suddenly Zuko was breathing, but he was also screaming and twitching and it was all she could do to hold him down. He had to stay still. She had to finish. There was more blood than ever.
She threw herself on top of him in a desperate attempt to keep him still. She pleaded with him -"Zuko, you have to stop moving, please Zuko, I have to do this right"-. She made promises -"I'll carry you around like you did for Toph, I'll make all your favorite meals for a month, or walk around naked, Zuko I'll do anything just please..."- and begged some more-"We can't lose anyone in our family, please Zuko, we love you"- and then she was sobbing hysterically and kissing him because it was the only other thing she could think to do besides slapping him.
Zuko was still after that, but Katara could see how much pain he was in just by looking into his tearing eyes. And she worked and worked through her own tears and worked even harder when Zuko groaned and reached up a hand to touch her face.
And then he was all knit back together. His breathing was shallow and his hand was still on her face, and he looked so tired and like he still hurt but Katara allowed herself an exhausted smile. She had done it, he was still here.
Zuko moved his hand to her mouth. "Again" he whispered, his voice dry "Kiss me again."
